2-DG drug accumulates in virus-infected cells and prevents the growth of these by stopping their synthesis and energy production. Its selective accumulation in virus-infected cells makes the drug unique
According to DRDO.
DCGI has approved the emergency use of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) as an adjunct therapy for Covid-19 patients.
Clinical trial results have shown that this molecule helps in the faster recovery of hospitalized patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence.
2-Deoxy-d-glucose is a glucose molecule that has the 2-hydroxyl group replaced by hydrogen so that it cannot undergo further glycolysis. As such; it acts to competitively inhibit the production of glucose-6-phosphate from glucose at the phosphoglucoisomerase level.
The Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) has developed an anti-covid-19 therapeutic application of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) that helps in faster recovery of hospitalized patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence. This has been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).
The DRDO, along with its industry partner DRL, Hyderabad, started the clinical trials, with phase-II trials being conducted from May to October 2020. In its phase-II trials, the drug “was found to be safe in covid-19 patients, and showed significant improvement in their recovery”, DRDO said.
“Phase-II a was conducted in six hospitals and phase-IIb (dose-ranging) clinical trial was conducted at 11 hospitals all over the country. Phase-II trial was conducted on 110 patients,” it said.
INMAS, a lab under the Defence Research and Development Organization, has developed this molecule along with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), Hyderabad, according to a statement issued by the ministry of defence on Saturday.
“The drug comes in powder form and is taken orally by dissolving it in water. It accumulates in the virus-infected cells and prevents virus growth by stopping their synthesis and energy production. Its selective accumulation in virus-infected cells makes this drug unique,” it said.
India is in the midst of a vicious second wave of covid-19 infections, and a large number of patients are needing hospitalization with supplemental oxygen support.
“The drug is expected to save precious lives given its mechanism of operation in infected cells. This also reduces the hospital stay of covid-19 patients,” it said.
“Higher proportion of patients treated with 2-DG showed RT-PCR negative conversion in covid-19 patients. The drug will be of immense benefit to the people suffering from covid-19,” it said.
In April 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic, INMAS-DRDO scientists conducted laboratory experiments with the help of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, and “found that this molecule works effectively against SARS-CoV-2 virus and inhibits viral growth,” the statement said.
“Based on these results, DCGI Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) permitted phase-II clinical trial of 2-DG in covid-19 patients in May 2020,” the statement said.
“In efficacy trends, the patients treated with 2-DG showed faster symptomatic cure than Standard of Care (SoC) on various endpoints. A significantly favourable trend (2.5 days difference) was seen in terms of the median time to achieving normalization of specific vital signs parameters when compared with SoC,” the statement said.
The DCGI further permitted phase-III clinical trials in November 2020, which were conducted on 220 patients between December 2020 and March 2021 at 27 covid-19 hospitals in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
The detailed data of phase-III clinical trial was presented to DCGI.
“In 2-DG arm, significantly higher proportion of patients improved symptomatically and became free from supplemental oxygen dependence (42% vs 31%) by day-3 in comparison with SoC, indicating an early relief from Oxygen therapy or dependence,” the statement reads.
“A similar trend was observed in patients aged more than 65 years. On 1 May 2021, DCGI granted permission for emergency use of this drug as adjunct therapy in moderate to severe covid-19 patients. Being a generic molecule and analogue of glucose, it can be easily produced and made available in plenty in the country,” it said.
Sources: Mint, Wikipedia, Social Media, DRDO,
